


Start Here With Me

by broadway_and_burbank



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22069057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadway_and_burbank/pseuds/broadway_and_burbank
Summary: Anna didn’t expect to spend the second to last day of the year buying a pregnancy test. All that’s left to do is tell Kristoff, her boyfriend of only two months.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 115





	Start Here With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to kristoffbjorg for beta reading and title help!
> 
> Happy New Year <3

The pharmacy's fluorescent lighting gave everything a harsh glare as Anna vacantly stared down the aisle, her stomach twisting into knots. _Family Planning._

Taking a deep breath, she walked down the aisle and stopped in front of the pregnancy tests. She held the strap of her bag in a vice-like grip as she tried to keep her head straight. There were so many brands – which ones were the best? Or most accurate? Anna picked two different ones off the shelf to lessen the chance of a false outcome. She needed to know for sure.

She hurriedly made her way to the front of the store, then mulled around the candy aisle until the only female cashier was open. Grabbing a chocolate bar for comfort food, Anna placed her items on the counter, feeling goosebumps break out under her jacket.

“Did you find everything alright?” the cashier asked as she took the first pink and white box and scanned it.

“Yes, thank you,” Anna mumbled. She chewed on her lip and stared blankly at the card reader as the cashier rang up the other test and the candy before putting in her pin. As she walked out of the pharmacy, a cold gust of wind blew and shook her out of her altered state.

She had just done that. She had just walked into the pharmacy and bought two pregnancy tests as if it was something she did all the time. She couldn’t figure out whether she’d rather be buying tampons or not.

Shivering against the breeze, Anna made it to her car and got inside. The interior was still warm as she hadn’t been in the store for over five minutes; it was a small comfort.

Anna placed the plastic bag in the passenger seat before pulling out the two boxes. She felt her hands shake as tears began to prick at her eyes. _Breathe,_ she told herself. _This could just be a false alarm like last time._ But some part of her didn’t want it to be.

She had always wanted to be a mother, and while she was only twenty-two and had planned on waiting a few more years, she certainly wasn’t against becoming a mom sooner.

She just didn’t know how to tell the dad if that’s what ended up happening.

She really, _really_ liked Kristoff. In fact, she loved him. She loved him, but hadn’t told him so yet since they’d only been dating for _two months._ Sure, they had been friends for longer, but how would he react if she was _pregnant?_ Would he run? They always did, didn’t they?

Anna took another deep breath and pushed the tests back into the bag. She wiped away the layer of tears threatening to fall. “One step at a time,” she said out loud as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Taking out her phone, she couldn’t help but smile at her lock screen. It was a selfie she’d taken with Kristoff; they looked so happy and carefree. When she opened her phone, she let her finger hover over his contact before deciding against it. She didn’t even know if she _was_ pregnant yet, so no use worrying him if it turned out to be nothing.

Anna called her sister and put the phone up to her ear, taking another deep breath.

“Hi, Anna.” Elsa’s soothing voice came from the other end of the phone.

“Hey, Elsa.” Anna practically sighed into the phone, knowing her voice didn’t remotely disguise her concern.

“What’s wrong? Is everything alright?”

“No – yeah – well...are you free? Can I come over? I really need to talk to you about something.”

“Of course – are you sure you’re okay?”

“I just...I just need to talk to someone right now.”

“Please come over. Honey’s here too if that’s alright.”

“Of course; it’s her apartment, too.”

“I’m just saying I can kick her out if need be; if you need this to be a private conversation.”

Anna couldn’t help but smile into the phone. Her sister’s long-term girlfriend felt more like a sister to Anna with each passing day, so it would be nice to have the extra support. “No, I think I could use as much advice as I can get.”

“Ryder’s also over right now.”

The dramatic groan that left her throat wasn’t intentional, but Anna couldn’t help it. She loved Ryder like a little brother, so she wasn’t sure she wanted him around for this particular conversation.

“I can send him out for coffee,” Elsa offered.

“You are a Godsend,” Anna sighed, starting her car. “I’ll be over in fifteen. Also,” she said, turning the heat up, “could you make mine a hot chocolate?” You weren’t supposed to have caffeine if you were pregnant, right? _Slow down._

“Of course. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” When Anna hung up, she saw she had a text. From Kristoff.

_Dinner tonight?_

Anna couldn’t bring herself to respond.

\------

After hugging Elsa and Maren in greeting, Anna’s stomach dropped as she looked around the large living area of the apartment. It was decorated for their New Year’s Eve party they were throwing the following evening.

Anna had totally forgotten about the party; she’d had a more pressing matter on her mind for the past week.

She put the plastic bag on the counter and let them lead her to one of their soft, cozy couches where she sank right in.

Maren took an armchair across from the couch while Elsa sat next to Anna, gently taking her hand in hers.

“Do you need anything?” Maren asked. Her dark eyes were filled with concern, letting Anna know that Elsa had told her something was up. “A drink? Something to eat?”

“No.” Anna shook her head. “Thank you though.”

“What’s wrong, Anna?” Elsa asked, gently squeezing her hand.

Sighing, Anna looked to the floor at her fuzzy socks. When she’d taken her dark boots off, the yellow in her socks just seemed a bit _too_ bright. “It might be nothing.” Anna looked to Elsa, then Maren. “I mean, there could be absolutely _nothing_ to worry about!”

“What do you mean it _could_ be nothing?” Elsa asked.

“Okay, you can’t freak out when I tell you this. You have to promise not to freak out!”

“That depends on –”

“She promises,” Maren cut in, looking at Elsa pointedly. “Remember what we said about ‘off the handle’ reactions?”

“Yes. Sorry, Honey.” Looking back at Anna, Elsa gave her a kind smile. “She’s right, Anna. I promise I won’t freak out.”

“I think I’m pregnant.” Anna figured it would be best not to beat around the bush, but the shocked look on her sister’s face made her regret her blunt delivery.

“Oh,” Maren said quietly, clearly surprised.

Elsa’s eyes widened as her voice grew strained. “You’re _what?_ Are you sure? Have you –”

“You said you wouldn’t freak out!” Anna pleaded as Elsa’s grip grew tighter.

“Elsa, breathe.” Getting over her own shock, Maren stood up and sat on the other side of Anna. “We’re going to talk about this, alright? Anna needs you to be calm right now.”

“Okay; not freaking out.” Elsa took a deep breath and looked back at Anna, who was grateful for Maren’s help at calming her sister down. “I’m not freaking out,” she repeated, giving Anna’s hand a softer, reassuring squeeze. “Just...do you think this could be like last time? Are you positive?”

“Like last time?” Maren asked carefully.

Turning to her friend, Anna nodded. “I...I had a pregnancy scare before. In college. Luckily it turned out to be nothing, but Hans – the guy – was gone the second the words were out of my mouth.”

“Oh, Anna.” Maren gave her a hug and Anna returned it before pulling away.

“Looking back, the whole thing was so stupid. My period was late and I _freaked_ and I guess I freaked him out, too. I'm not sure if it was the stress of school or maybe even the relationship, but my period came like the day after he left.” Shrugging as if it wasn’t a big deal, Anna gave a humorless laugh. “False alarm. But he left me anyway.”

“He sounds like a _total_ asshole.”

“Yeah, he was. But...I just…I don’t know.” Anna shook her head and looked back down to the floor.

Gently rubbing her back with her hand, Elsa spoke up. “Have you told Kristoff about this yet?”

“God, no.” She looked back to her sister incredulously. “I’m not even sure yet; I’m late – like, really late – but I don’t want to say _anything_ until I know. I bought a pregnancy test. Two, actually. I just didn’t want to do this alone.”

“Anna,” Maren said softly. “Of course we’re here for you, but shouldn’t Kristoff be here, too? I mean, you’re scared about all this. It’s only fair for him to feel just as anxious right now.”

“The thing is…” Trailing off, Anna looked up at the streamers adorning the ceiling before looking back at the two women beside her. “I’m not that scared about this. I...it’s different than before. I’m not eighteen anymore. I have a job and an apartment. I wasn’t planning on _any_ of this, but if I am pregnant, I want the baby. I want to be a mom. I just…” She didn’t realize she was crying until she felt a tear slip down her cheek. “I don’t want Kristoff to leave.”

“It’s okay.” Elsa took Anna into a hug as she quietly cried against her shoulder.

“We haven’t even been together for three months.” A shuddering breath left her body as Anna pulled back to look at her sister, wiping her nose. “I mean, if you were a guy, would you stay if your new girlfriend told you she was pregnant and wanted to raise the baby? Would you?” she asked Maren, trying to take deep breaths to calm down.

“Kristoff is _crazy_ about you,” Maren said, rubbing Anna’s arm. “Even before you started going out it was obvious. Do you know how grating it was to watch him pine over you for _months_ before he finally had the balls to ask you out?”

Anna actually managed a laugh as she wiped at her eyes.

“I know it hasn’t been very long,” Elsa said, “but Kristoff is the only guy you’ve _ever_ dated that I’ve actually liked.”

“Really?” Anna asked.

Elsa nodded. “He’s a really good guy. And he’s good _for_ you. But I say we take one thing at a time. You should take the test and see if this is an issue that even needs addressing, alright?”

As Anna nodded, the door burst open. The three women on the couch turned to see Ryder balancing a tray of coffees with one hand and a box of donuts with the other.

“I know you just said coffee, but they had these donuts decorated with –” He cut himself off as he made eye contact with Anna. “Jeez, did someone die?”

“Shut up.” Maren rolled her eyes at her younger brother. “You can just drop the coffee and leave.”

“Rude. And just when I got you some sparkly donuts, too. Besides, we haven’t finished packing the party favors.”

“We can finish that later.”

Ryder put the drinks and donut box on the counter, then caught sight of the pharmacy bag. “Oh, did someone finally pick up some M&M’s? Because I keep telling you that they’re the superior –”

“Wait!” But Anna was too late as Ryder opened the bag before looking inside, then immediately closing it again.

“Ah...nope.” He awkwardly looked at the women across the room and gave a strained smile. “Not M&Ms.”

Anna just set her head in her hands as she felt her face heat up. Just how many people needed to know about her possible condition?

“Hey, Elsa,” Ryder said, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Did you get my sister knocked up?”

“You’re such a little –” Maren’s words were cut off by Anna’s laugh.

Anna took her head out of her hands and smiled at Ryder. “You’re ridiculous.”

He opened the donut box and held it out. “Want a donut?”

“You know what? I really would.”

Ryder grabbed a napkin and walked over to the couch, letting Anna choose from the variety of the sparkle-covered confections. “So...should I say ‘congratulations’ or ‘I’m sorry’?”

Maren smacked her brother on the arm from her position on the couch.

“Ow! What? I’m not allowed to ask?”

“It’s okay,” Anna said, placing the donut on the napkin in her hands.

“We don’t know anything yet, Ryder,” Elsa told him. “But if you want to be useful, you could get Anna some water.”

“God, tough crowd.” He closed the donut box and went back to the kitchen counter. When he came back with a cup of water for Anna, he sat in the chair previously occupied by Maren. “Am I at least allowed to ask how Kristoff feels about this? He’s my friend, too!” Ryder exclaimed quickly as Maren gave him another harsh look.

“He doesn’t know,” Anna said after she sipped her water. “It could be nothing. I don’t want to stress him out about this if it’s nothing.”

“But...aren’t _you_ stressed out?”

“So?”

“So shouldn’t you be stressed out together? I mean...it takes two to –”

Anna huffed and took a large bite of the donut. “I _know._ But I don’t want to tell him because there might not _be_ anything to tell!”

“It’s your choice,” Elsa agreed. “We just want to make sure you have the support you need.”

“I might be pregnant; I don’t have a tumor. I’m _fine._ ” Putting the water cup and half-eaten desert on the coffee table, Anna stood up. “I should just do it.” All the speculation and possibilities that had been running around her head for the past week or so would finally be answered if she would just _deal_ with it already.

She marched over to the counter and grabbed the boxes in the shopping bag, then turned back toward the couch. “I’m going to go pee on these sticks,” she announced. “Please put on some music or something so we’re not sitting in silence when I come out.” With that, she headed toward the hallway bathroom.

Anna was relieved to hear the sound of the TV turn on as she closed the door behind her. She placed one box on the counter and read the back for the directions before doing the same with the other. “Okay,” she said to the mirror. “Pee on the sticks and wait three minutes. I can do that.”

After she was done, she wrapped up tissue paper to place the tests on so she wouldn’t get pee on the counter. There had to be a better way to do this, right? Whatever. She washed her hands and left the bathroom, fully expecting the three pairs of eyes that looked at her when she emerged from the hall.

“Can someone set a timer for three minutes?”

“Maren stole my phone,” Ryder said.

“Only because you don’t know how to keep your mouth shut,” his sister said. “The last thing we need is Kristoff calling you and you letting it slip.”

“Okay, that’s fair.”

“I’ll do it.” Elsa reached for her phone on the coffee table and set the timer.

The TV played in the background as Anna paced around; she had too much energy to sit still and her thoughts were running wild. _How long can three minutes take? Well, three minutes obviously, but how many seconds is that? How many commercials are there? I wish Kristoff was here. No, wait, I don’t. But I do. What are they even watching? I might be pregnant. Did this ad play twice in a row? I could be having a baby._ When the timer went off, Anna nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Elsa asked softly.

Anna shook her head. “No, I need to do this.” But she felt her heart race a mile a minute as she walked back down the hall to the bathroom. She’d left the door open a crack; not enough to see the counter.

“You can do this, Anna.” Her voice didn’t come out as strong as she had hoped, so she took a deep breath and tried again. “You can _do this._ ” She pushed open the door and went straight to the counter.

One of the tests showed a plus sign while the other revealed two thin, pink lines. _A double positive._

She was pregnant.

Emotions crashed over her like a tidal wave and Anna had to lean against the counter for support. _She was pregnant!_

First, a strange, sharp laugh of joy escaped her lips. She was going to have a baby! It was sudden, very sudden, but the thought of holding her child in her arms caused another set of tears to fight against the rims of her eyes. She’d wanted to be a mother most of her life. She wanted to love her children in such a way that they would _always_ know they were loved; the way she never felt when growing up.

No, the thought of being a mother wasn’t upsetting in the least; what _was_ upsetting was the thought of doing it alone.

That’s when another wave of emotions hit her, these ones not remotely as joyful as the last. Of course, she wouldn’t be _alone_ alone, she had her sister and her friends, but she wanted Kristoff. She honestly believed they had a future together. He was the _best_ man she’d ever known.

Hans was an asshole – Anna knew him leaving was the best thing he could have done for her. Every man that followed was not much better. But Kristoff...he was just so _good._ He treated her so well and listened to her and laughed with her and when he looked at her, she truly felt like maybe she was the only girl in the world for him.

Anna had liked him long before they started dating, then it took no time at all for her to realize she loved him. But she had a history of scaring guys off. Even after Hans, each man she met said she moved too fast; took relationships _too_ seriously. And they all left.

Kristoff was the only one who she _knew_ held her heart more than any of those other men. And he held it carefully, too.

But would he want to keep it after she told him?

Anna had wanted to take things slow with him, not scare him off, but she fell head over heels too fast and look where she was: in her sister’s bathroom, pregnant, playing out all the different ways he could break up with her once he found out.

Things were supposed to be different with him; how did she get here? Well, unprotected sex obviously, but it was only one time! They had been safe every single time except once – and he had pulled out, so it should have been fine, right? _Stupid._

But it didn’t feel stupid at the time. She remembered the night: it was about a month into their official relationship and they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. Each time they’d had sex had been in one of their apartments; always safe and always smart.

But for some reason, that night, Anna could _not_ seem to get herself together. It was just a movie date, but he was so warm and kind and _attractive_ like he always was and soon her hand was on his thigh, then down his jeans as Kristoff’s large fingers found their way up her skirt and under her tights.

They left halfway through the film and practically ran to his truck, which Kristoff could barely drive with Anna throwing herself at him.

He pulled over on some side road and suddenly they were in the backseat and Anna gasped as his teeth bit her neck and his hands grabbed her thigh.

Anna could only take so much heavy petting before she needed _more_ and reached for his belt buckle.

“I don’t have a condom,” he panted against her lips, his hands now slipping off her tights.

“I don’t care.”

 _I don’t care._ Well, she _definitely_ cared now. _Stupid, stupid Anna._ She’d been acting like a horny teenager instead of the practical adult she was _really_ trying to be.

She looked in the mirror again and once more wiped the tears from her eyes. _Woman up,_ she thought as she left the bathroom. _You’re going to be a mother._

Again, everyone looked at her as she entered the room.

“Well?” Elsa asked as she stood up, her hands clasped in front of her.

“I’m pregnant. I’m sure this time.”

“Oh, Anna…” Anna watched the sympathetic looks from everyone and accepted her sister’s hug, but she didn’t like the somber tone in the room.

“Guys, I’m okay. Really, I’m fine,” she said as she walked back toward the kitchen counter, leaning on it.

“It’s okay if you need time to process this,” Elsa said, but Anna shook her head.

“No, really. I’m really, _really_ okay. About the baby part, anyway.” She was worried about a fallout with Kristoff, but she couldn’t help but smile when she mentioned the baby. “I’m actually...excited!”

“Congratulations!” Ryder hopped up and jogged over to her, giving her a tight hug. “See?” he asked, turning to his sister. “I knew one of those options would be right.”

Then Maren was smiling, and so was Elsa as she went to give Anna another hug. “I’m happy if you’re happy.”

“I’m so happy, Elsa.” Anna felt more tears fall down her cheeks. “I am so, _so_ happy.”

“Then I’m so, _so_ happy, too.” Pulling back, Elsa gave her hands a gentle squeeze. “And...you _will_ tell him now, won’t you?”

Feeling herself fall back down to earth, Anna’s smile slipped as she nodded. “I don’t exactly have a choice.” Just then she felt her phone vibrate, so she let go of Elsa’s hands to see who was calling her. When she pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen, she almost dropped it. “It’s Kristoff!” Panic suddenly took over any of the happiness she had felt as she watched her phone ring.

“Are you going to answer it?” Maren asked.

“I can’t! He knows! He _has_ to know. How does he know? Ryder, did you tell him?”

Ryder’s hands flew up in a surrender position. “I _literally_ just found out! I don’t even have my phone!”

“Anna, he doesn’t know.” Soothing her sister, Elsa touched Anna’s arm. “He’s just calling you. That’s it.”

“...right. Just calling me.”

“And you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. You do have to tell him, but it doesn’t have to be right this minute.”

“No,” Anna sighed. “I mean, I’m not going to tell him over the phone, but I should answer. I’ve...kind of been ignoring him the past few days. I just...I didn’t know what to say and I didn’t want to worry him, but now I know even _less_ what to say.”

“It’s up to you,” Elsa said.

Anna took her phone and went down the hall, closing the door to Elsa’s office before answering the call. “Hi, Kristoff.”

“Hey, baby.”

Anna nearly cried just hearing that. The term of endearment, his soft voice, _baby –_ it was all too much. “W-what’s up?” She hoped her voice didn’t tremble as much as she thought it did.

“Just checking in. I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

Suddenly fatigued, Anna leaned against the wall. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ve just had...a stressful few days. It’s that place in between Christmas and New Year’s where things don’t really...make sense.”

Kristoff was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. “Just so you know, when you do feel like that...you can talk to me about it. I mean, if you want.”

“I know.” Anna sucked in a breath. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Anna couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face. He _always_ thought of her. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”

“I miss you.” There was a quick huff of laughter. “Sorry, that sounded lame. Or desperate. Probably both.”

“No.” Anna’s vision got misty for what felt like the millionth time. “It didn’t sound like either. I miss you, too.”

“Good. I mean, not good that you miss me, although, I’m glad you also – okay, uh, I meant good that it didn’t sound lame. But I definitely do right now. I’m gonna start over.”

Anna giggled into the phone as he tripped over his words, suddenly overwhelmed by how much she loved him.

“I, uh, I don’t know if you got my text earlier, but I was wondering if you wanted you grab some dinner later? Nothing fancy,” he said just as Anna was about to open her mouth again. “Maybe just some take-out at my place? I dropped by the store and got that wine you like.”

Anna felt like she _could_ use a drink, but that was a no-go for the foreseeable future.

“And I was thinking about asking Ryder to watch Sven for the night so it could just be us. You, me, and shitty pasta from that bistro around the corner.”

Anna laughed again and closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to take him up on his offer.

“What do you say?”

 _God,_ she wanted to say yes. To head over there that evening and drink cheap wine, eat too-hard pasta, and spend the night tangled in his sheets as if nothing mattered but the two of them.

But she couldn’t.

Drinking aside, she just _couldn’t_ see him without telling him the truth. It wouldn’t be fair. No matter the outcome, Anna couldn’t _not_ tell him he was going to be a father. At the very least biologically, if he didn’t want to be in any part in the child’s life. He certainly didn’t seem like that type of man, but Anna didn’t have the best record of picking them.

“Kristoff, I would _love_ to, but...but I promised to help finish decorating for the party.” She had just lied through her teeth, but she needed a day just to sit with this. One day. She would tell him at the party tomorrow. It would be at least slightly poetic if the last day of the year was the last day of their relationship. “We might be up pretty late doing it.”

“Oh, do you need any help? I can come over and –”

“Nope!” Anna said a bit too loudly. “We’ve got it covered!” But she didn’t want it to seem like she was dismissing him, so she said, “But can we take a raincheck? Because that sounds wonderful.”

“Of course.”

“And you’re coming to the party tomorrow, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it. What time does it start again? I can pick you up.”

“Oh, um, it starts at nine, but I think I might just stay the night here.” That wasn’t a lie; Anna did not feel like going back to her apartment alone. “So, I’ll see you then?”

“Yeah.” A pause. “I’ll see you then. Goodnight, Anna.”

“Goodnight, Kristoff.” _I love you._ She hung up.

\------

“Where could he be?” Anna asked Maren as Elsa greeted another person at the door. Another person who wasn’t Kristoff.

“It’s okay; it’s only nine-thirty. I’m sure he’s on his way.”

The apartment was slowly filling up with friends and co-workers, but all of Anna’s smiles and greets were half-hearted. She felt more and more on edge each second. She’d texted him a few times asking for an eta, but had got no response. Did he change his mind and decide not to come? Or was he mad at her for being so distant? Maybe he was trying to get back at her. Anna shook herself out of her thoughts. No, Kristoff would never do that.

“He hasn’t answered any of my texts.”

“Probably because he’s driving.”

“Yeah. Driving.”

“Anna, breathe.” Maren put her wine glass down on the counter right as someone turned up the music. “He’ll be here soon, you’ll talk it out, and everything’s going to be okay.”

Anna just nodded, trying to convince herself that Maren’s words were true.

She occupied herself by taking people’s coat and scarves and putting them in the guest room. She heard music and laugher coming from the rest of the apartment as she spent more time than necessary organizing the articles of clothes on the bed. She wasn’t exactly in the mood for socializing.

As she left the room for the living area, another knock sounded on the door. Anna’s head whipped toward the door when she heard a very familiar voice.

“Hey, Elsa. Sorry I’m late, traffic was brutal.”

Anna didn’t let her sister answer before she called out, “Kristoff!”

When his head turned and his eyes met hers, the smile that spread across his face caused all of Anna’s anxieties to disappear for a blissful moment as she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck.

Kristoff’s arms wrapped around her waist as he held her close.

“It’s so good to see you,” Anna said truthfully, speaking into his chest.

“It’s great to see you, too.”

Anna smiled up at him as he spoke, his voice vibrating through his chest. She noticed Elsa grinning at them out of the corner of her eye and stepped back, feeling herself flush as she cleared her throat. “I can um – let me take your coat.”

Kristoff shrugged of his jacket, revealing his black button up, which complimented his dark jeans. _God,_ he was so attractive. And the look in his dark eyes nearly made Anna’s knees weak. As he handed her his jacket, he leaned down and spoke softly in her ear. “You look beautiful.”

Goosebumps spread across Anna’s body as Kristoff pulled back; he smelled like subtle aftershave and she could count the faint freckles spread across his broad nose. All she wanted to do was kiss him.

But they were standing by the door with swarms of other people and there was a conversation that needed to be had first.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, giving Kristoff a shy smile before turning around and heading back to the guest room. She placed his coat on the bed before facing the full-length mirror hanging on the closet door.

She’d bought her festive gold cocktail dress before Christmas – before she knew she was expecting. She turned to the side and placed her hand on her flat stomach. _You look beautiful._ Would Kristoff still think that when she was eight months pregnant with swollen ankles and late-night cravings?

A strong, warm pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and Anna couldn’t help but smile as Kristoff pulled her back against his chest.

“I really missed you,” Kristoff said, smiling as he kissed the top of her head.

“I really missed you, too.”

“Yeah?”

Anna turned around in his grasp to gaze up at him. “Yeah.”

When Kristoff kissed her, it was slow and gentle, his lips molding to hers so perfectly, Anna felt as if he was made for her, and her for him. Kristoff’s hands slid up to cradle her face as Anna deepened the kiss, enjoying the moment; the last possible moment they might have.

“I thought that was supposed to wait until midnight,” Anna said as he pulled away.

“I couldn’t wait that long.”

Anna looked up at him, studying his face. He just looked so _happy._ Maybe she could wait a bit before delivering the life-altering news. “Come on,” she said, slipping out of his grasp before grabbing his hand. “Let’s get back to the party.”

Naturally, Anna then spent the next few hours trying to evade Kristoff whenever she could, which was difficult in the same apartment. She’d talk with plenty of people, but when Kristoff put his arm around her waist or spoke low enough so only she could hear, guilt and fear caused her heart to constrict inside her chest.

She’d pretend to be enthralled by conversations she couldn’t care less about so she had a reason not to talk to him. She _knew_ it was unfair, but visions of him storming out of the party when she told him about the pregnancy petrified her. At least he was still by her side at the moment, even if she was practically ignoring him. She felt _awful,_ but she couldn’t even look in his direction without the threat of tears.

It had just hit eleven when Kristoff came back to her side with a glass of champagne. “Here,” he said, offering it to her. “I figured you’d be thirsty.”

It was Anna’s favorite, she’d told him as much, so she didn’t know what to do as she took the glass from him. “Thanks,” she simply said, giving him a quick smile before placing the drink on a side table. “But I’m actually okay.” Then she didn’t speak to him again for the next thirty minutes.

The TV was turned up until the footage from Times Square grabbed most people’s attention and everyone chatted about performances or how annoying the hosts were.

“Hey, Anna?”

Anna took her gaze from the television to see Kristoff behind her. “Yeah?”

“Can I talk to you for a second?” He stuck his hands in his pockets and apprehension flashed in his eyes.

Anna felt her stomach drop. _Oh no._ Had someone told him? No, Elsa and Maren wouldn’t have said anything and Ryder had been avoiding him nearly as much as she had for fear of letting it slip. There’s no way he knew, but something was on his mind. “S-sure. What’s up?”

He nodded his head toward the hallway before turning around with Anna following behind. She turned her head back to the crowded room and caught sight of Ryder, who gave her a thumbs up, but she didn’t feel any better.

Following Kristoff back into the guest room, Anna turned to face him as he shut the door. “So…” She dragged out the word, trying to put off whatever conversation was about to happen. “What’s up?”

“I don’t really know.”

“What?”

Kristoff just looked at her, his hands coming out of his pocks to simply rest at his sides. “Did…did I do something wrong?”

“What?” Anna asked again. That wasn’t what she expected to hear.

“If I did anything to make you upset or – or if I said something that I shouldn’t have, I want you to tell me.”

“Kristoff, what are you talking about?” There was worry written all over his face, and Anna rushed over to him, gently placing one of her palms to his cheek. “Of course you didn’t do anything wrong; why would you think that?”

“Then why have you been avoiding me?”

The question made Anna remove her hand. “I…I haven’t. I’ve been busy –”

“I know.” He didn’t look as unsure as he did a moment ago; he just looked sad. “I know you’ve been busy, and of course that’s fine, but I haven’t spoken to you in days. You’ve barely even talked to me since I got here. I…I don’t know. On the phone yesterday, you sounded – I don’t know – off somehow. It – and maybe I’m just missing something – but it seems like you’ve been actively avoiding me.”

“I…” Anna wasn’t going to lie again, so even though she wanted to deny what he said, she took a shaky breath and nodded. “I’m _so_ sorry, Kristoff.”

“It’s okay –”

“No, it’s really not. I’ve been ignoring you.”

Kristoff gently gripped her hands in his and Anna was startled by the intensity in his eyes. “I just want to know what I can do.”

“Kristoff.” Anna took her hands from his as she began to tremble. “You…are the most _amazing_ man I have ever met. I really, _really_ like you. But…I have you tell you something. I didn’t want it to be tonight. I didn’t want tonight to be about this, but…God, I’m _so_ sorry.”

Kristoff only nodded slowly as he walked over to the bed and sat down, his hands braced on his knees. His brows furrowed as he spoke. “Anna…let me just say that I care about you. A _lot._ And…” When he looked up at her, the pain in his eyes was evident. “All I want is for you to be happy. And if that doesn’t involve me –”

“Wait, what?” Anna put her hands up to stop him. “What are you talking about?”

“I – I thought you were…aren’t you breaking up with me?”

“ _What?_ ” The shock in Anna’s voice shook herself out of her own muddled state. “ _No!_ _God,_ no. I would never break up with you – you’re going to break up with me!” Anna gasped, realizing what she’d said.

“Why the _hell_ would I do that?” Standing up, Kristoff looked at her incredulously. “Anna, what is going on?”

“This is a mess,” Anna groaned, tugging at her hair. “I…I don’t know how I’m supposed to say this, Kristoff!”

“Say _what?_ Why would you think I would _ever_ break up with you? Anna, I –”

“I’m pregnant.”

Muffled sounds of mindless chatter and the festivities on TV drifted through the closed door as they both stood silent. Anna’s breaths felt quick and shallow as she waited for Kristoff to respond. His eyes grew wide and he opened his mouth a few times as if to speak, then closed it again.

“…what?”

“I’m pregnant, Kristoff.” Anna forced herself to steady her voice, letting it ring out clear through the quiet room.

Kristoff gently sat back on the bed, his breathing slightly erratic. “And it…it’s my…”

“Of course it’s yours. Back of your truck, remember? Apparently, the pull-out method isn’t as reliable as people make it out to be.”

He seemed too stunned to speak, looking to her, then the floor, then back. When he remained quiet, Anna steeled herself and spoke again.

“Kristoff, I want the baby. But…I just want you to know that I don’t expect anything from you.”

Kristoff’s head shot up from its downward position. His face was unreadable. “What are you saying?”

“I’m giving you an out. If you want to leave – if you don’t want to deal with any of this – I won’t expect you to.” Anna tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she took a shaky breath, feeling tears well in her eyes. “All I want is for you too be happy, too,” she finished quietly. With that, she turned around and went for the door. She could do this. She could do this alone if –

Before she reached the door, Kristoff jumped up from the bed and grabbed her wrist, gentle but firm. When Anna spun around, his lips crashed into hers.

“I love you,” he said, pulling back only the slightest bit.

Anna blinked, tears slipping from her eyes. “Wh…what? You’ve never said –”

“I know. But I love you. And I should have told you a long, _long_ time ago.”

Nearly choking on her words, Anna could only gasp out his name. “Kristoff…”

He kissed her again, his hand cradling her head as his other arm held her close as Anna melted into his embrace. When he pulled back, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I _love_ you. And I’m sorry. This was…a surprise. I…I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t, except that I’m not going anywhere.”

“Kristoff –”

“Anna – wait – I just have to get this out. I wasted _months_ trying to ignore my feelings for you. I’m never doing that again. These past couple months have been the _best_ of my life. Because of you.”

Anna laughed out a sob. “Everything’s happening so fast. I don’t want to scare you off.”

“Anna, we’re going to have a _baby._ I’m – honestly, I’m overwhelmed, so I can’t _imagine_ how you feel. But I _promise_ you that I want to be in our child’s life. I want to raise them with you. How could you think I wouldn’t?”

“Because they leave,” Anna said as Kristoff whipped a tear off her cheek. “They always leave.”

“I will _never_ leave you, Anna.” His misty eyes mirrored his words. “I love you.”

“ _I love you,_ ” Anna sniffed, her hands gently holding his face, making sure he was real; that he was really there. “I love you _so much._ ” She kissed him then, letting him silence her cries as she poured her heart into that kiss, his promise burned on his lips. “Please tell you mean it,” she said, pulling back and placing her hands on his chest. “I’d rather you leave now than in a year when it’s suddenly too much.”

Kristoff held her face in his wide, warm palms as his thumbs stroked her cheeks. “I want to spend this new year with you, Anna. This year, and every year after.”

They didn’t go back to the party. They moved all the coats to a chair and laid in the bed, just holding each other. Kristoff stroked his fingers up and down Anna’s back and she giggled as he left feather light kisses on her nose and cheeks. Anna ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him soft and slow when he asked her to move in with him. She somehow managed to say yes between the kisses.

And when midnight hit, they heard the roar of celebration come from the other room. Kristoff kissed her again and Anna knew that it wasn’t just the start of the new year, but the beginning of something else, too.


End file.
